Carbonated water is generally formed by introducing a pressurized liquid and pressurized carbon dioxide gas into a carbonator tank. The pressure of the contents of the tank forces the carbon dioxide into the liquid, thus forming a carbonated liquid. Typically such carbonator tanks are bulky, large, and increase the manufacturing cost of a beverage dispensing system.
Current carbonated beverages may be formed by using a carbonator to carbonate a liquid source and then introducing a flavored syrup concentrate to make a carbonated beverage. Additionally, prior art devices may include a small carbon dioxide cartridge that introduces carbonation under pressure into a tank of water and then add the syrup or other ingredients to create a finished beverage.
Existing prior art teaches that carbonated beverages can be created by using a carbonator to carbonate water, and then mixing the carbonated water with a flavored syrup concentrate (such as concentrated cola components) to make a carbonated beverage. Also, machines are available that use a small CO2 cartridge to introduce carbonation into a mixed drink. But in the prior art devices, the amount of carbonation that can be introduced into a beverage is not variable, nor does the device operate to agitate the beverage after CO2 has been introduced. An additional limitation of the prior art devices is that they do not have the ability to control the foaming created when syrups or other products are mixed and carbonated.
However, prior art carbonation apparatuses are limited in the amount of carbonation that they introduce to the beverage because they do not agitate the beverage or have the ability to vary the pressure to create various carbonation levels, for example, low, medium and high levels of carbonation. Additionally, typical prior art apparatuses may be utilized to only carbonate a water source and do not carbonate a finished beverage.
There is therefore a need in the art for a method and apparatus that provides reliable levels of carbonation to a beverage on an individual small batch basis such that the carbonation level may be adjusted to various levels based upon the individual needs of a customer.